China Travel Guides
Last updated 2026-08-24

Xiamen Travel Guide: Six Places Worth Visiting (with a Three-Day Itinerary)

Xiamen is an island city; in 1980 it became one of China's first batch of Special Economic Zones, and in 1994 was designated a sub-provincial city. Gulangyu entered the World Heritage list in 2017. I've checked the background of these Xiamen sights against public sources. Xiamen University was founded in 1921 by the overseas Chinese Tan Kah Kee (Chen Jiageng); Nanputuo Temple has a history of over a thousand years; and Hulishan Fortress holds the largest surviving 19th-century coastal artillery piece in the world. Where the sea breeze reaches, history and the modern sit layered together.

When to come to Xiamen

All of Xiamen has a subtropical monsoon humid climate; the annual average temperature is around 21°C, with long summers and short winters. Winter isn't cold, summer is hot but tempered by the sea breeze. Spring and autumn are most comfortable — March to May and October to November, with moderate temperatures and a fresh sea breeze. Coming in summer, guard against typhoons; the typhoon season is generally concentrated in July to September. Gulangyu and Xiamen University draw heavy holiday crowds — go off-peak if you can. The rain falls suddenly in Xiamen — bring an umbrella.

Sights in the city worth a visit

Gulangyu

Gulangyu, Xiamen
Gulangyu. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, by gdczjkk, CC BY 3.0.

Gulangyu lies southwest of Xiamen Island, facing it across the water, with the nickname "Garden on the Sea." In July 2017 the Gulangyu Historic International Settlement was inscribed on the World Heritage list — the Chinese mainland's 52nd World Heritage site. The draw is the architecture: late-Qing and early-Republic consulates, trading houses, villas, and local folk houses mingle, called an "exposition of a hundred nations' architecture." The piano and music are Gulangyu's other calling card; the island has produced many a musician.

To reach the island you take the ferry from one of Xiamen Island's piers; fares and schedules per official notice. There are no motor vehicles on the island — all on foot, so wear comfortable shoes. Sunlight Rock (Riguangyan) is the island's highest point; together with Shu Zhuang Garden and Haoyue Garden, the main route can be done in a day.

Sunlight Rock (Riguangyan)

Sunlight Rock from the ferry
Sunlight Rock. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, by Tiger@西北, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Sunlight Rock stands atop Longtou Mountain, south-central on Gulangyu — a boulder over 40 meters tall, 92.68 meters above sea level, the highest point on the island. A round platform is built atop the boulder; climb it to overlook all of Gulangyu, with Xiamen Island and the open sea beyond. Legend has it that Zheng Chenggong (Koxinga) once drilled his navy here, and the site of his "water-drill platform" and the stone gate of his camp still remain on the hill.

Climbing Sunlight Rock takes a flight of stone steps; in good weather the view opens fully — Gulangyu's most classic vantage. Sunrise and sunset draw the most people; for quiet, go at other times. Sunlight Rock's ticket is included in Gulangyu's combined ticket, or can be bought separately; price per official notice.

Xiamen University

Xiamen University campus
Xiamen University. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, by 周流劲火, CC BY 2.5.

Xiamen University was founded in April 1921 by the overseas Chinese Tan Kah Kee — the first university founded by an overseas Chinese in modern Chinese education. The campus backs against the sea and the Wulao Peaks; its signature is the Chinese-Western "Kah Kee" architecture — red brick and green tile, set among green trees. The most famous spot inside is the Furong Tunnel, its walls covered with student graffiti; there are also Furong Lake and the Jiannan Grand Auditorium.

Xiamen University is now a known sight; entry requires reservation, made in advance through official channels, with ID-card scanning at the gate. The campus is large — a circuit takes two to three hours. Just outside the south gate is Nanputuo Temple; outside the west gate is Baicheng Beach, so the three can be strung together.

Nanputuo Temple

Nanputuo Temple, Xiamen
Nanputuo Temple. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, by xiquinhosilva, CC BY 2.0.

Nanputuo Temple lies at the foot of the Wulao Peaks in the southeast of Xiamen Island, facing south and backing north, looking out over the bay — a Buddhist temple with over a thousand years of history. It was first built in the late Tang, then called Sizhou Temple; by the early Republic it was already a thriving Minnan temple. The name "Nanputuo" (Southern Putuo) comes from its enshrinement of Guanyin, paired with Mount Putuo in Zhejiang. The release pool before the temple, the Hall of the Heavenly Kings, and the Mahavira Hall are all the typical layout of a Minnan temple.

Nanputuo Temple charges no admission and draws both pilgrims and tourists. Behind the temple you can climb the Wulao Peaks; from the top, views over Xiamen Island and the bay. The temple's vegetarian pastries are a Xiamen specialty, bought by many as a gift. Nanputuo adjoins Xiamen University, so after the campus you can come straight over.

Hulishan Fortress

The Krupp cannon at Hulishan Fortress
The Krupp cannon at Hulishan Fortress. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, by Tyg728, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Hulishan Fortress stands on the coast at the southeast tip of Xiamen Island, built in the 20th year of the Guangxu reign of the Qing (1894) and completed in 1896, a late-Qing coastal-defense work. Inside the fortress is a 280 mm coastal gun made by the German Krupp works — the largest surviving 19th-century coastal artillery piece in the world. In the Opium War Xiamen had been taken by the British and the old fort destroyed; Hulishan was built against that backdrop.

The fortress also has barracks, hidden passages, and an observation terrace; the sea wind is strong, the view open, toward Kinmen. A Qing-soldier drill performance runs twice daily, morning and afternoon, per on-site notice. Just outside the fortress is the Island Ring Road, so the two can be walked together.

Island Ring Road (Huandao Road)

Beach along Xiamen's Island Ring Road
Beach along the Island Ring Road. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, by HorsefaCe, CC BY-SA 3.0.

The Island Ring Road circles Xiamen Island, the city's most famous seaside road, and one of Xiamen's "ten city cards." The road follows the coastline, with beach and sea on one side and green trees and city on the other. It's the course of the Xiamen International Marathon, which sets off from here early each year. Several well-known spots line the beaches — Baicheng Beach, Yefengzhai, and Huangcuo Beach, all good places to face the sea.

The most comfortable way to do the Island Ring Road is by bike or on foot. Start from Xiamen University's Baicheng, head east, beach and sea views the whole way, and catch the sunset at dusk. Buses and shared bikes run along the route; stop whenever you're tired. The Ring Road connects to Hulishan Fortress, so the two can share a day.

Eating in Xiamen

Xiamen's food is mostly Minnan cuisine and seafood. Shacha noodles are the most common street noodle dish; the shacha sauce is simmered from over a dozen ingredients — dried shrimp, dried fish, onion, garlic, old ginger — yielding a rich broth paired with seafood and meat. Miansa paste is another local breakfast regular — thin rice noodles with pig's blood, scallion oil, and seafood in a bowl. Oyster omelet, tusun dong (a savory jelly), and peanut soup are snacks you can find around Zhongshan Road and the Eighth Market. Xiamen restaurants serve moderate portions; seafood is at market price, so ask before ordering.

How to arrange the route

City plus Gulangyu: three days is comfortable.

Day one, Gulangyu: take the ferry over in the morning; climb Sunlight Rock; tour Shu Zhuang Garden and Haoyue Garden in the afternoon; back off the island at dusk.

Day two: Xiamen University in the morning; lunch near Nanputuo Temple; climb the Wulao Peaks in the afternoon; Baicheng Beach for the sunset.

Day three: from Xiamen University's Baicheng, bike or walk along the Island Ring Road, passing Hulishan Fortress; spend the afternoon on the beach. With time to spare, move Hulishan Fortress to the afternoon of day two, and leave all of day three for the Ring Road.

Things to confirm before you go

Frequently asked questions

How many days for Xiamen?

City plus Gulangyu: three days does the main route. To go slower, four to five is more comfortable.

How long for Gulangyu?

About a day. Over in the morning to climb Sunlight Rock, tour the main sights in the afternoon, off at dusk. No cars on the island — all on foot.

How to enter Xiamen University?

Reservation required, made through Xiamen University's official channels; enter with your ID card. Quotas are tight on holidays.

How to tour the Island Ring Road?

Bike or walk for the most comfort. Start from Xiamen University's Baicheng and head east — beach and sea views the whole way, and the sunset at dusk.

Sources

The facts in this article were checked against the following Chinese Wikipedia entries, retrieved August 11, 2026.

  1. Xiamen (city) https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/厦门市
  2. Gulangyu https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/鼓浪屿
  3. Sunlight Rock https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/日光岩
  4. Xiamen University https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/厦门大学
  5. Nanputuo Temple https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/南普陀寺
  6. Hulishan Fortress https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/胡里山炮台
  7. Island Ring Road https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/环岛路

All photos are from Wikimedia Commons, used under CC licenses; re-use requires attribution.